Key Achievements

Looking back at the last 14 years, Zawadi Africa Educational Fund has made big strides in the advancement of the girl-child education and most importantly,in the building of female leaders that are well on their way in making a difference in their communities and staying true to the Zawadi Africa Educational fund mantra of “Each One, Teach One”. We are proud of the outstanding results we have been able to deliver in our first 14 years. These milestones include:

• The program has over 360 students on full scholarships at 62 colleges and universities in the US, Canada, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, South Africa, including Yale University, MIT, Harvard University, Smith College, McGill University, University of Cape Town (South Africa), Kwame Nkrumah University (Ghana) and Jomo Kenyatta University (Kenya).
• Zawadi students have excelled in their studies with an average GPA of 3.75 out of 4.0.
• Zawadi has raised over USD 70 million in scholarship funds since inception in 2002.
• Zawadi Africa program has had a 100% retention and graduation rates to date, with 55 graduates as of May 2012.
• Zawadi students are matriculating into strong post-graduate activities, with girls winning scholarships to Stanford, Duke and Dartmouth medical schools, Johns Hopkins University among others.

Zawadi Auxillary Programs

Beyond the Classroom

Research by Nike Foundation shows that approximately 150 million girls living in the developing world are not in school. Of this number, 14% get married before the age of 15 and 38% before the age of 18. Further research indicates that when a girl in the developing world receives 7 or more years of education, she marries 4 years later. When she spends 2 extra years in school, her wage earnings are boosted by 45%. In addition,higher levels of education result in better infant and child wealth.

In rural areas of Kenya, girl lack role models who help widen their horizons. As such they lack ambition, drop out of school due to teenage pregnancies, early marriages as second or third wives and later bear children they can barely afford to raise. Lack of tertiary education and life skills only serves to worsen the situation, as they remain jobless. Their daughters fall into the same circumstances as their mothers, as this is all they know. The cycle continues.

Beyond the Classroom serves the dual purpose of serving as a high school retention tool for girls for whom the future does not hold much promise, and preparation for successful entry into the highly competitive post-secondary school world. Further, it strives to equip high school girls with the life skills that they need in order to make intelligent choices by enhancing effective decision making skills, encouraging goal setting and building confidence.

Projects by Zawadi Scholars

(i) PACE Kenya

Peggy Mativo, a third year at Harvard University, together with her team recently got recognition for their vision to empower and ensure the younger generation in Africa get a befitting education, by the Clinton Global Initiative Foundation, whose conference was held in Washington D.C. With the greater vision of designing a Teach for Africa organisation, Peggy and her team launched Promoting Access to Community Education Kenya (Pace Kenya) in January 2013 with a volunteer group of 24 teaching assistants. Since then we’ve recruited, trained and sent out 110 volunteers total to grade, tutor and mentor in 12 public schools in Kenya (3 Towns: Nairobi, Athi River and Githunguri). Based on school populations, we reach is 4000 students currently.

(ii) Masomo Mashinani

Margaret Mong’are, a medical student at Stanford University, driven by her passion for making a difference in the very society she grew up in, set up a school-based Learning  and Mentoring program, Masomo Mashinani, that connects over 100 children with select mentors from local universities who offer guidance and tutoring, while creating positive peer influence. This is based in Baba Dogo, an urban slum in Nairobi, where limited income resources for households, high rates of HIV/AIDS, teen pregnancy, crime, gang related violence and drug abuse characterize daily fights for survival. These factors have led children, particularly girls, to leave school prematurely or forgo enrollment completely, perpetuating the cycle of poverty as they lack the tools and academic support needed to transform their lives. Margaret, who grew up under similar circumstances, appreciates the value of an education. Her gratitude is shown by her efforts to ensure children who grow up under these circumstances have access to proper education and mentorship.

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